A major accident was narrowly averted on Sunday midnight when a private luxury bus carrying Ganesh devotees from Mumbai to Malvan suddenly caught fire near the Kashhedi tunnel bridge in Khed taluka around 2:10 am. According to passengers, the fire broke out after one of the bus tyres burst, leading to flames engulfing the entire vehicle within moments. Fortunately, the driver acted swiftly and evacuated all passengers before the blaze intensified. This quick response prevented a possible tragedy. The incident caused panic among commuters but ensured that no lives were lost.
The fire triggered complete traffic disruption on the busy Mumbai-Goa highway for several hours. Vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road, creating long queues and inconvenience to travelers. The bus, bearing registration number MH-02 FG-2121, was reduced to ashes along with passengers’ belongings, which were entirely destroyed in the flames. Officials said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, though the tyre burst is suspected to be the primary reason. Passengers expressed relief over their survival but lamented the loss of all their personal items.
Upon receiving information, the Khed Municipal Council’s fire brigade rushed to the spot and launched firefighting operations. Firemen Sham Deolekar and Deepak Deolekar, along with driver Gajanan Jadhav and assistant firemen Jayesh Pawar, Pranay Rasal, and Suraj Shigwan, worked tirelessly to bring the blaze under control. Their timely efforts prevented the flames from spreading further. While the luxury bus was completely gutted, authorities confirmed that all passengers remained unharmed. Police have begun a detailed probe into the incident to determine whether negligence or technical failure was involved.